91 GL with ALL Options + BP power with PS,A/C

[gestiva]

Well.... I have been away from Festivas for quite a while! Then through more Bartering and Exploded trans, I have started another BP Festiva Build...

This festy was formally owned by (sedat) and sold to his family who DIDNT take care of it!!!!! Made the trip to Albany GA and picked it up.

Here is His Thread on the car, and mine picks up where his left off....

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?34191-Sedat-s-Glacial-speed-build-thread

My Lime green festy trans EXPLODED shortly after I bartered it to (sedat) and I got it back for $300 worth of HAM radios.
It has sat since April with blown trans. Sedat's stepdad called him saying the white festy's timing belt broke and he could have it back(Jan. 2012)
I decided about a month ago to go get it and fix the B3 and have a NICE DD.
After Cleaning and Pulling the engine, I noticed Oil in the intake,exhaust, and coated in the intake tube/filter.
I was talked into taking the BP out of my green car and swapping it in instead of rebuilding the B3.

Not much to say about the swap besides the few quirks needed to make a BP fit without Modding ANYTHING that couldnt be made back to factory B3!
Spacers on front of crossmember, and saving space with my Turbo intake, NO cutting was needed for firewall... Sledge to frame rail to make pully for A/C fit.
Sapcers on PS bracket. longer PS/A/C belt. Used stock B3 water outlet pipe for clearance for A/C (PITA!) Everything else just Bolted Up!

Here are some pix from moment I picked it up, till today. Today was the first test drive! amazingly weird driving a BP with PS and wore out shocks! But AWESOME!!!!!


Just after 4AM in Albany GA. getting gas to head back to Ala.



Later that morning once I got home with it. Washed it off, and ready to Unload.




And now for the removing of the B3

[gestiva]

pix of engine bay, Before and after cleaning

[gestiva]

BP and explode trans, and Steak at the shop dinner, lol

[gestiva]

Final Assembly today before test drive

[M3NTAL]

I love white Festiva's! Looks really good keep up the good work!!!

[festyfreak39]

looks awesome great bulid!

[gestiva]

Looked, and looked for Rear shock upgrade, and finally decided on this Bolt In set of Adjustable Air Shocks. Installing them, and testing them out tomorrow!

[gestiva]

Installed the
Air shocks and they ride and handle really good! and with it being fully adjustable, it makes for better all around driving.

[Damkid]

Looking good!!

[1990new]

Looks like it's about ready for the Festiva Of The Month February entry.

[Advancedynamix]

Awesome build! I really like your Valve cover color, I almost painted mine that color when I did my brake calipers. It looks really good! Also, good work on the air shocks! I had given that a lot of thought too, interested in more details about them.

Oh, and you may want to grind a little off of the rear beam right behind the shocks. If you ride with the car lowered it will hit the shock. I have some pictures of this mod, I'll try to find them. It's not hard.

Found 'em.

this is looking down on the rear beam/shock mount. You can see where it has previously hit the shock. It's hard but you can see where I ground down the corner of the gusset behind the shock mount. This metal isn't supporting anything, so it can be relieved without weakening your rear suspension.

This is the Russians car iirc, but the red circle indicates the area that needs to be ground down. I used a 4" grinder with a cutting wheel and then dressed it with a flap disk.

[gestiva]

^^^ Thanks for the comments, Im trying to take it slow so I can do it right the first time.
As for the air shocks, the bottom of the shock that bolts to the beam, the hole is bigger than stock, fixed that with a spacer that fit Perfect
out of one of the Many Range Rover builds in the past months. also had to use 2 spacers on inner side of bottom mount(closest to drum) that moved it back for extra clearance once I put my 175/60-13's on this week. Top is direct bolt on, using Spacer from RR and extra rubber bushing on the under side, this keeps anything from being touched(like,brake line,beam,etc.) when there is no psi in the shocks.

As of right now testing the system till I can order hoses,valves,tees, and better on board compressor it is connected with cheap plastic install lines and valve.
Start till finish took 2 1/2 hours or so. just as easy as replacing stock shocks, besides drilling the 2 holes for air lines.

[kumalaba]

very nice build & i love the car!

[Advancedynamix]

^^^ Thanks for the comments, Im trying to take it slow so I can do it right the first time.
As for the air shocks, the bottom of the shock that bolts to the beam, the hole is bigger than stock, fixed that with a spacer that fit Perfect
out of one of the Many Range Rover builds in the past months. also had to use 2 spacers on inner side of bottom mount(closest to drum) that moved it back for extra clearance once I put my 175/60-13's on this week. Top is direct bolt on, using Spacer from RR and extra rubber bushing on the under side, this keeps anything from being touched(like,brake line,beam,etc.) when there is no psi in the shocks.

As of right now testing the system till I can order hoses,valves,tees, and better on board compressor it is connected with cheap plastic install lines and valve.
Start till finish took 2 1/2 hours or so. just as easy as replacing stock shocks, besides drilling the 2 holes for air lines.

The beam will only contact the shock when the car is tilted, not under a "flat condition". I had almost 1/4" of room between that part of the beam and my shock with no spring in there and the car sitting flat. It's under cornering forces or uneven surfaces (i.e. driving up onto a curbed driveway or parking lot at an angle). When the beam articulates, the shock and beam will get closer to each other on one side and further on the other. I'd hate to see you dent your new shocks like I did (mine still function perfectly fine, but my shafts are shortened so that the piston never uses the dented area anyway). Air shocks on the back make so much sense on these cars because the festiva is so light, but can hold a heavy load. I'm constantly adjusting my rear springs to hold engines or to drive comfortably or to race the car. It's not hard, but pushing a button would be much more convenient. You should do a write up on your setup, in the suspension forum, when you get it dialed in.

[gestiva]

^^^ Ahh... I gotcha now, I Never even thought of that, I only looke for flat clearance with them up and down, Not flexed as if I was cornering.... I will get under there in a few, and make sure to notch them
so I wont have any issues. I will make a thread bout them. The ease of adjusting them, makes them worth it to me.